2019 GOSLING REPORT: INLAND WATERWAYS FOR FREIGHT

Utilising water freight today allows companies to have a system in place to prevent adverse consequences if future issues should make traditional networks less viable.

Britain’s canals and rivers should be playing a bigger role in our freight network, but changes in local and central Government policy and planning approaches are needed to make this happen.

Overall, the total amount of goods moved for all domestic waterborne freight increased by 16 per cent to 31.4 billion tonne kilometres (bt-k) in 2015. Goods moved by domestic water transport accounted for 15 per cent of total domestic freight traffic in the UK. However, inland waters traffic was a relatively small proportion of this and remained steady at 1.5 bt-k.

It is sensible for a company to have multiple modes available to use. For example, so that in the event of weather disruption on the road network, alternative methods of delivery are available. A spread of modes, including water freight, provides the greatest resilience for a company’s supply chain, reducing exposure to risk . . .